Aubameyang asserted he gave up his £350,000-a-week salary at Arsenal for the opportunity to play for the La Liga giant
By Kehinde Okeowo
Former Arsenal captain and striker, Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang, has described lining up for La Liga outfit, Barcelona as a once In a lifetime opportunity and a dream come through.
The Gabonese international was stripped of the captain’s armband and banished from the first team by Gunners gaffer Mikel Arteta, as a disciplinary measure for returning late from a personal trip abroad in December 2021.
The striker was the highest paid player in Arsenal and one of the big earners in the Premier League, however, he made a switch from Emirate to Camp Nou on the last day of the January window, receiving a massive pay cut in the process.
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Aubameyang, speaking with Mundo Deportivo, said joining Barcelona was a dream come true and claimed he knew the transfer might happen a week before it went through.
The 32-year-old also said his father and lawyer were largely responsible for the paperwork and added that he gave up his £350,000-a-week salary at Arsenal to move to Spain.
He said: “My father did it all with my lawyer and they can say it best.
“But the week before we already knew that he could end up signing for Barca. The week before there were already contacts and I knew it.
“I really wanted to go to Barca. I gave up my salary because it is an opportunity that you have once in your life.
“It was something incredible (his ovation at the Nou Camp). It is a dream to play on a field like this and receive this ovation. I was very pleased and happy. The truth is that it was incredible.”